Stackable fluid dispensing apparatus

A method of printing characters using an ink jet printing device of the type having a case, an ink manifold within the case which communicates with a source of pressurized ink, a plurality of valves within the case, each of said valves being connected to said ink manifold by a fluid line, a plurality of ink dispensing openings, each of said openings being connected to a selected one of said valves by a fluid passage means whereby actuation of said valves controls the flow of ink through said dispensing openings, and electrical control means for controlling the actuation of said valves, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing said ink dispensing openings within a nozzle block carried in a removable front end which is mounted on said case, said ink dispensing openings being arranged in at least one line on an exterior face of said nozzle block, the dispensing openings at the outermost extents of said line being located adjacent opposite edges of said exterior face, the distance from the center of the opposite outermost of said openings to said opposite edge of said exterior face being one half the center to center distance of any two remaining dispensing openings in said line;
• and
• changing the character height of the characters printed with said device by substituting an alternate nozzle block for said removable nozzle block on said case, said alternate nozzle block having a different ink nozzle spacing.

A method of printing characters using an ink jet printing device of the type having a case, an ink manifold within the case which communicates with a source of pressurized ink, a plurality of valves within the case, each of said valves being connected to said ink manifold by a fluid line, a plurality of ink dispensing openings, each of said openings being connected to a selected one of said valves by a fluid passage means whereby actuation of said valves controls the flow of ink through said dispensing openings, and electrical control means for controlling the actuation of said valves, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing said ink dispensing openings within a nozzle block carried in a removable front which is mounted on said case, said ink dispensing openings being arranged in at least one line on an exterior face of said nozzle block, the dispensing openings at the outermost extents of said line being located adjacent opposite edges of said exterior face, the distance from the center of the opposite outermost of said openings to said adjacent edges of said exterior face being one half the center to center distance of any two remaining dispensing openings in said line;
• and
• changing the character height of the characters printed with said device by stacking the nozzle blocks of two printing devices one upon the other with the dispensing openings of said blocks being aligned, the spacing of said dispensing openings being such that the distance between the center of the top outermost opening of said bottom device to the center of the bottom outermost opening of said top device is equal to the center to center distance of any two remaining openings in either of said nozzle blocks.